Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Faculty Guest - Virginia Macdonald

Ginna teaches clarinet, saxophone, and early childhood music classes including Jump Start Piano for 4 and 5 year old students. She has been with PMAC from the very beginning and has recently begun her studies for a Masters Degree in Music Therapy. Here are her responses to a few of my questions:

What was the most recent concert you attended? Did you like it? Why or why not?
I attended The Fab Faux's concert at Berklee. They are touted as the best Beatle's tribute band around and they did not disappoint! No synthesizers for the winds or strings - real people - right down to the piccolo trumpet solo on Penny Lane. Their specialty is the music from the Beatles' psychedelic years - the things they did not perform live, but with modern technology can be done.

At what age did you decide to become a professional musician or artist? How did you come to that decision?
I've always thought of myself as a band weenie. I was probably 16, but sometime in high school I decided that I wanted to be a high school band director. My high school had such a great program and our director Jeff Smith took us to the World's Fair, the Cherry Blossom parade in DC, and Mardi Gras. If it were not for music during those years, I don't know where my life might have gone. Music has gotten me through a lot. I am looking forward to learning all that I can on music's healing benefits as I pursue my graduate degree in Music Therapy. I'm loving it so far!

What advice do you have for a young student who is considering art or music as a career?
Look at all the possibilities. I was only aware of performance and education. There are so many careers in music that are not as apparent as others. I didn't even hear about the field of music therapy until I was an adult, although it has been around for 50 years or more.

What is your favorite movie about an artist or musician?
One that really sticks with me is Dancer In The Dark. Bjork stars in this musical about a woman who is working so hard to prevent her son from her fate of losing sight. Her dreamworld revolves around all the sounds she hears and the songs are truly beautiful. It is a heart-wrenching film and you may want some tissues nearby.

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